A few months ago, the University of Oxford made progress in establishing the COVID-19 vaccine that was meant to save the world from the deadly virus. Clinical trials were set to start in the UK and if the drug was not a success, the word in the street had it that Kenya would be the preferred African Nation for the ground. There has not been much updated about the progress of the highly anticipated COVID-19 cure, but that did not stop the rest of the world from finding possible alternatives.
The Oxford COVID-19 cure finally found its way into Africa through South Africa. South Africa has become the second country after UK to take part in the first human trial for the potential vaccine. Oxford University, in conjunction with South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, on Wednesday announced thousands of volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 who received the vaccination will be monitored for 12 months to see how well the vaccine guards against COVID-19.
South Africa has the highest rate of infections in Africa, with more than 100,000 cases and more than 2,000 deaths. With these alarming rates of infections, the country is slowly easing on the restrictions that were meant to protect the public from contracting the virus. Its government had at one point imposed a lockdown that was later lifted, which could be a possible explanation for their high infection rates.
Kenyans were worried that they would be reduced to lab rats for the clinical trial after an international journalist hinted about it during an interview. The remarks caused a public uproar, forcing President Uhuru to set the record straight about the outcome of vaccine and how Kenyans are linked to it.
